


In the Morning

by nevereverever



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Sad, Self-Harm, Suicide mention, Threats of Violence, post s2e05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-02 21:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12734376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevereverever/pseuds/nevereverever
Summary: Jughead can't take it, and seeks Betty out after the events of s2e05.





	In the Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friendos! This is a hardcore angst party and I'm sharing it because if I suffer I want to share it with you lovely folks. My poor Betty :((((( Warning: this story contains mentions of self harm, suicide, and murder. Stay safe buddies.

Betty had taken to keeping a knife on her bedside table. Hidden, so her mom couldn't find it, but within arms reach. She knew it was probably useless because he had a gun and what good would it do? But it made her feel safer, in all this crazy mess, like she had some agency.

So when a knock came at her window, her first response was to grasp at her bedside table until she felt the cold of the grip in her hand.

The window creaked, opening ever so slowly as Betty drew the knife closer to her chest. The window stopped creaking, and all at once Betty whipped out of bed and brandished the kitchen knife at the intruder.

“Wanna to put that down, Juliet?” A voice asked in the dark. It took Betty’s eyes a quick second to see him. Jughead. Her first instinct was to embrace him, to wrap her arms around him and never let go. But things weren't like that, not anymore. She had to keep him safe.

“Get out of here. You need to get out of here.” She hissed, keeping a firm grip on her knife. She could feel her heart beat a little harder. There was a rushing sound in her ears that she couldn't quite place.

“I just want to hear you say it and then I'll leave. Jeez Betty, I know Archie said you didn't want to see me anymore but this is harsh. All of this because I’m a Serpent? Do you hate that part of me so much?” Jughead said, his voice sounding like she had already stabbed him because in a way she had.

“Yes.” Betty said, gritting her teeth and lying. Tears started to roll down her cheeks and she held the knife a bit harder. She would do anything, say anything to get him away from her where he was safe.

“Bullshit. Betty Cooper, I know you, and this isn't it. You knew this would hurt me more than anything, so why? What's wrong Betty? What happened?” His voice rose with increasing urgency. All he had come here to do was hear her say it. Hear her say she didn't love him anymore, but this wasn’t Betty. He could feel it in his bones.

“You have to leave. It isn't safe. You have to go, you really have to leave Juggie,” she said, sobs masking her voice. The knife slipped from her grip and clattered to the floor. Jughead took the opportunity and pulled her into a crushing embrace.

“I don't care Betty. I don't care that it isn't safe. I just need you to tell me the truth, okay?” Betty slumped against him,sobbing into his shoulder, “That's all I need to hear. Just your truth from your mouth.” He keep hold of her, and felt how their bodies slotted together like puzzle pieces. How did he ever think he could let her go?

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,” Betty whispered, letting go of him and sitting down on the floor. She pulled her knees in close to her chest. He sat down across from her but made no move to touch her.

“For what Betts?” He asked her as he carefully drew the knife out of her reach.

“He's been calling me. The Black Hood. He said- he said I was the reason he did this. That if I didn't follow his instructions he would kill people I loved.” More tears rolled down her cheeks, glittering in the soft light of the room. She buried her head in her knees,but when Jughead reached out to touch her she pulled away.

“He told me to publish the thing about my mom. Then he told me- he said to cut Veronica out of my life. And then you. That's why. Oh god, I can't tell you this, Jug, he's going to kill you. He's gonna kill Polly- and- and.” Betty broke back down into heart wrenching sobs, and Jughead couldn't do anything. He didn't know how to deal with a serial killer blackmailing his girlfriend.

“I’m not leaving you Betty, I-” he tried but nothing came. No comforting words or clever ideas, just tears and silence.

“He asked me to pick a victim Jug. And I did it. I'm a monster. I'm just like him,” she said. He could hear something dark in her voice.

“Don't- don't say that babe. You are not a monster, you are the most beautiful person I have ever met. He is the monster. He is torturing you Betty. He is torturing you.” He put a hand on her cheek and wiped away her tears. They burned his skin like acid. His beautiful girl, so torn to pieces. He would tear whoever dd this to her to pieces.

“He’s gonna kill Polly. He’s gonna kill Polly and my parents and Vee and you. I was stopping him. I was stopping him and now- now you’re here. What are we going to do?” She scooted a little closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. He noticed she said we. We was a thing they were. It shouldn't have made him feel better, but the ghost of joy drifted through his mind that she still loved him.

“I don’t know Betts. I don’t know.” He pulled her closer, so her head was resting on his lap. He carefully ran his fingers through her hair, and over her shoulders, but when he gingerly took hold of one of her hands, he noticed the sharp intake of breath that followed. He turned her hand over to find rows of bloody indents in her palm.

“Oh Betty,” he started a sentence but stopped when he felt her tears soak through his jeans. So he just cradled her hand in his and tried to protect her from the world with soft touches and loving thoughts.

“If Nick St. Clair isn’t alive tomorrow, I don’t want to be either,” she whispered after some time had passed.

“I’m so sorry Betts. I’m so sorry.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey folks! That was so much, so let me know if you liked it <3


End file.
